Since the announcement that Quicksilver was going open source (back last November), things have been moving slowly along.

Etienne Samson is now producing new alpha builds which he is posting on the Quicksilver Google Code page . The latest build is timestamped 25 June and another build is imminent.

These new builds are modestly described as “only a bug fix version”, a clean-up operation while the creator of Quicksilver, Alcor, is reportedly “working on a complete re-write of the frameworks of Quicksilver and should hopefully release it soon”.

Nonetheless, some users (including me) find that the new builds are slightly zippier and have a smaller memory footprint. However, they are not so good for people using Mouse triggers, which are apparently broken.

Although based on some of his changes, these builds are not the same as the tweaking that Ankur is doing independently. His work also promises a much slicker build, but progress seems to be stalled.

What is Quicksilver?

Quicksilver is act without doing, work without effort, do your work then step back; it is empty yet infinitely capable; the more you use it, the more it produces; the more you talk of it, the less you understand.

More accessible information on this absolutely kick-ass productivity tool can be found in the Quicksilver User Guide in the Quicksilver Google Group and/or in a beginner’s tutorial post by Lifehacker’s Adam Pash, MacBreak’s Quicksilver screencast and the AppleBlog’s screencast on using Quicksilver to send quick-fire emails.

Related posts

• EasyTask Manager 2.0 “syncs” with iPhone
• TaskPaper: Getting Things Done without distraction
• Quicksilver plugin for Yojimbo updated: Appending text
• GTD-style widget for iCal to-dos
• Coverflow for Quicksilver?

Is there a fast way in Mail.app for replying to frequent repetitive requests?

Hawk Wings reader Greg Bentz emails to ask:

I need to be able to save and email with information in it to be resent out repeatedly. I am in real estate and get the same questions over and over. I can do it outlook express but cannot figure out to do in Mail.

I know of two sensible ways to get this done fast and efficiently.

1. Use the MailTemplate plug-in

MailTemplate is a plug-in for Mail.app and Entourage that is designed to do this, and it does it well.

You can quickly access it from the Contextual menu in Mail.app.

It comes with a Template editor in which you can write your frequent replies. For example:

The fields enclosed with double carets (^^) are “smart fields”, that is, they pick up the information from the email to which you are replying.

So, when I get an email that needs one of these quick, repetitive replies, I just right-click on it, and select the right template from the Contextual menu:

And as if by magic, MailTemplate creates the reply:

One keystroke and the email is sent. All done. Productivity gurus like Merlin Mann of 43Folders swear by it.

MailTemplate is shareware (USD 14.95) and a demo is available from the developer’s web site

2. Use a text snippet manager like TextExpander

Snippet managers offer a different way to skin the same cat. There are loads of them around — here’s a list of some from MacUpdate. I prefer TextExpander (Shareware, USD 29.95—but see special offer for Hawk Wings readers in the comments) which, after Quicksilver, is the best thing in my time-saving toolbox.

Snippet Managers allow you to store text and images that you often use and to spit them out again with a few keystrokes. For example, if I type “hwnts” (Hawk Wings is Not Tech Support) into an email I am composing, I get the same text as the MailTempate reply.

Well, almost the same text. The downside here is that TextExpander doesn’t have smart fields. I need to reply to the message, type the person’s first name, and then type “hwnts” to get the same result.

But there are two upsides which make up for this. First, text snippets are available system-wide. If I want to use this boilerplate text in TextMate or in a Safari form or in some other app, it’s just the same few keystrokes away. MailTemplate isn’t. This is a bit plus for me.

Secondly, you will soon find that there are more things that frequent email replies that you want to store.

Typing “tss” produces my work signature with all the bells and whistles (and no mistakes) in Mail.app and anywhere else that I need it. All the HTML in this blog post, written in TextMate, was produced by the same time-saving, error-free text snippets.

I prefer Option 2 but either will do the job.

Related posts

• MailTemplate goes universal, editor improvements
• MailTemplate 1.6: Address Book integration, smarter attachments
• Give Mail.app a complete productivity workout
• Getting Things Done with Mail and iCal
• WideScreenMail plugin gets two-line preview

MacWorld seems to be heaving with articles of interest to Mail.app users today.

Kelly Turner kicks things off with a confession about her bulging inbox, its 35,000 emails and the level of self-deception involved in telling herself that her system was working:

…I often lost track of messages that still needed to be dealt with. As new messages arrived and older ones disappeared from my screen, I seldom thought to scroll down to see what was still unread. And although I’d developed elaborate coping mechanisms (using colors and flags and searches to identify messages) simply having an ocean of e-mail in front of me made the process of answering and checking e-mail seem like a Herculean task.

This forms a nice segue to the first part of Joe Kissel’s three-part “email renovation” series. He begins with a series of tips on reducing the amount of traffic that comes into your inbox in the first place—dealing with spam, all those hilarious joke-a-minute emails that your friends and family insist on circulating, learning what belongs in Mail.app and what belongs in iChat and more.

Part Two is on “Meet your new filing system”. I’ll be amazed if it doesn’t mention Mail Act-on and MailTags , the two premier organisational plugins for Mail.app.

If you can’t wait for Joe’s next installment you can browse through past posts of mine (one, two, three) on getting things done with Mail Act-on and MailTags. Or read them now and see how much better Joe’s tips are when he posts them!

Joe also takes the chance to put up some links to articles he wrote in February 2007 on “clearing away the clutter” in your inbox. Anything by Joe is worth the time spent reading it. These are no exception.

Finally, Joe has written a piece on coming to grips with notes and to-dos in Leopard Mail. He offers some smart tips on moving your calenders and to-dos to an IMAP account. However, be sure to read the comments as well and see what problems people are having with getting iCal to behave.

Related posts

• Productivity tips for profit and pleasure
• OmniFocus GTD app goes into public beta
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• Mail.app and Getting Things Done

EasyTask 2.0 has been released, bringing a range of new features and bugfixes to this “mid-range” Getting Thing Done (GTD) app.

Hawk Wings has posted on EasyTask Manager before.

The changelog for the new version seems promising:

•    New 3-panel Preview. View and edit tasks faster.
•    Tasks can have system wide alarms (Leopard only).
•    Quick add system wide hot-key allows to add new tasks from any application (option+apple+right arrow key).
•    Improved Online Sync (fix various bugs with some tasks not syncing).
•    Automatic realtime sync with iCal / Calendar store in Leopard so tasks are visible in Apple Mail and emails can be converted to tasks. (Leopard only. Tiger syncs with iCal but users need to click Sync button).
•    Added option to sync using Projects instead of Contexts as Calendars (Leopard only).
•    New Outline look.
•    Fix problem with Online Sync and firewalls.

But what caught my eye was the claim on the developer’s web site that it can “Sync with the iPhone”.

This turns out to be only half-true (if that). It doesn’t sync with the iPhone at all. What happens is that app syncs up to an online interface accessible through an iPhone.

It’s not a beautiful interface, but will get the job done. However, when you mark a task as completed on the iPhone you are greeted with the screen on the right:

Hmmmm…. This is not the key to a seamless GTD workflow.

If you are looking for a solid GTD workflow that involves an iPhone, Remember the Milk remains a much better solution (although the launch of the 3G iPhone promises lots of new apps, like OmniFocus for the iPhone ).

(UPDATE: According to TUAW Remember the Milk has just won the 2008 Apple Design Award for best iPhone web app.)

With its much more polished iPhone interface (pictured), Dashboard widget , Quicksilver action and whatnot , it’s the best iPhone solution currently around.

The Republic of Geektopia (see all its RTM posts ) and David Chartier have both written fine posts on how they Get Things Done with Remember the Milk and its tools which I won’t repeat here.

I should point out, that in order to use the iPhone interface, you need to puchase a “pro” subscription (USD 25 a year) to Remember The Milk.

See too Bruce McKenzie’s fine post on Getting Things Done using an iPhone.

I’m torn about EasyTask Manager. On the one hand, it presents a fine mid-priced (USD 19.99), mid-featured GTD framework.

On the other, with Things and OmniFocus and others powering ahead, it’s simply falling too far behind the pack. Harsh but, I think, fair.

Check it out for yourself from the developer’s web site .

Related posts

• GTD-style widget for iCal to-dos
• TaskPaper: Getting Things Done without distraction
• Quicksilver plugin for Yojimbo updated: Appending text
• New Quicksilver builds
• Mail.app/iCal/kGTD/DEVONthink Pro to get things done

Anxiety is a new and well-crafted “no frills” task mananger for Leopard that manages a list of your to-dos and syncs them with iCal and Mail.app.

Personally, I like the big, fully-featured approach to task management (OmniFocus, iGTD , etc), but not everyone needs all the bells and whistles.

If these big hitters are not for you, then Anxiety is well worth a look. As the developer says, “With a tiny desktop footprint and clean minimalist aesthetics, the application is simultaneously small, beautiful and effective”.

It presents a simple list of outstanding tasks, which can be displayed and hidden again by clicking on the app’s Menubar or Dock icon:

When it has focus, hitting Return brings up a pane to create a new task. Tabbing through you can quickly enter the task and assign it to the calendar of your choice. Once it is created in iCal, it is soon synced into Leopard Mail as well.

Double-clicking on a task in the list opens the to-do in Mail or opens the task’s Edit pane in iCal (you can set this in the app’s Preferences).

Checking the box on the left, completes the task, which turns a violent green and then disappears.

Anxiety’s Preferences allow you to determine whether it displays tasks by individual calendar or in a unified list, whether the icon is displayed in the Dock, Menubar or both, and various display options:

Anxiety is freeware (donations not refused) and is available - along with a comprehensive list of its many virtues - from the developer’s web site .

[Via digg ]

Related posts

• Getting Things Done with Mail and iCal
• Productivity tips for profit and pleasure
• OmniFocus GTD app goes into public beta
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• Macworld’s Massive Mail.app Mélange

OmniGroup are really pounding away at the public beta of OmniFocus. Every day, sometimes more than once a day, they push out a new build with tweaks, bugfixes and improvements.

Today, a new feature appeared that is worth a blog post.

The app now has a comprehensive system of alerts about tasks that due soon.

It offers the option to display these alerts in the Dock, where like Mail.app’s little red bubble, they serve as a constant reminder that fooling around on facebook all day will not result in Getting Things Done.

Right-clicking the Dock icon brings up a summary of the upcoming tasks, listed by context.

Alerts in the menubar provide another option for a visual prompt about outstanding tasks.

Here, a drop-down menu also lists the tasks by context. Clicking on one, opens OmniFocus at the appropriate place in the app’s Context View.

Other aspects are constantly being improved, in particular the Perspective options, which provide pre-sets for filtering your tasks in user-customisable ways.

For example, I can set a Perspective that shows me only tasks related to my day job that are due in the next three days. OmniFocus creates a button for that Perspective which I can then place in the app’s Toolbar for easy access.

Syncing with iCal is more trouble-free than it was two days ago and the Kinkless Importer is much more stable and reliable.

In other OmniFocus news, Ethan Schoonover writes in the comments on another post:

For what it’s worth, we at Omni are all very interested in getting OmniFocus content on the iPhone (The Omni Group is pretty much 99% iPhone users, so we have a dog in this fight). Rest well assured that as soon as we have options for doing this in a way that allows reasonable functionality, we’ll be on it.

Fingers crossed!

Related posts

• OmniFocus GTD app goes into public beta
• To Do X: The Rolls Royce of To Do apps
• Productivity tips for profit and pleasure
• OmniGrowl: Growl alerts from iCal, RSS feeds and more
• Mail.app/iCal/kGTD/DEVONthink Pro to get things done